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Tim W Hayes  03/02/2007 04:15:18 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Tim W Hayes

Cable 
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UNCLAS        ANKARA 00354

SIPDIS
CX:
    ACTION: ECON
    INFO:   CONS PA RAO FCS POL DCM AMB FAS MGT PMA

DISSEMINATION: ECON /1
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: ECON:TGOLDBERGER
DRAFTED: ECON:DYOUNG, FAS: CG
CLEARED: ECON:AS,AS, FAS:RG, MED:CG, ADANA:EG

VZCZCAYI544
RR RUEHC RUEHRC RUEHVI RUEHRO RUEHGB RUEHDA
RUEHIT RUEHBS RUEHPH RUEAUSA RUEHGV RUEHBS RUEHZN
DE RUEHAK #0354/01 0471558
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161558Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1006
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 1630
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 6616
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0889
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1662
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2142
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1539
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHZN/EST COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000354 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO FOR STUDZINSKI AND LANGE 
USAID FOR TROSTLE, BLANCHET AND CARROLL 
HHS FOR WSTEIGER/PBUDASHEWITZ 
FAS FOR OCRA/FLEMINGS AND CURTIS, OSTA/WETZEL 
FAS PASS FSIS AND APHIS 
VIENNA FOR APHIS 
BAGHDAD FOR FAS 
BRUSSELS FOR APHIS/FERNANDEZ 
GENEVA FOR HEALTH ATTACHE 
ROME FOR US MISSION TO FAO 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: EAGR TBIO AMED CASC EAID SENV TU KFLU
SUBJECT: TURKEY AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE - NO HUMAN CASES 
 
REF: A) ANKARA 283 AND PREVIOUS 
 
B) ADANA 18 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: The GOT moved rapidly to contain outbreaks of avian 
influenza in chickens in villages in Batman and Diyarbakir provinces 
in the southeast that began on February 5 (refs).  Ministry of 
Agriculture (MARA) officials culled nearly 3,000 birds and are 
implementing other appropriate biosecurity measures.  Although a 
number of people have been hospitalized and under observation, no 
human cases have been diagnosed.  Samples from seven hospitalized 
patients tested negative for H5N1.  The World Bank convened a 
meeting of international partners to coordinate activities 
associated with its $54 million package.  It executed its $34 
million loan and transferred funds to the GOT Treasury, including 
the $1 million USAID grant.  Parties will form a working group to 
coordinate and strategize on restructuring the backyard poultry 
sector.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
AI Outbreak in Poultry in Batman and Diyarbakir 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2.  A total of nearly 3,000 birds have been culled since February 8 
in the provinces of Batman and Diyarbakir since the first outbreak 
was discovered in the small village of Bogazkoy near Batman on 
February 5 (refs).  There are new suspicious cases of poultry deaths 
in three locations in Diyarbakir Province and in another village in 
Batman Province.  Four samples taken from these new locations were 
sent to Elazig Veterinary Control Laboratory on February 15.  The 
results of rapid tests were positive for H5N1.  Biosecurity measures 
include cleaning, disinfection, quarantine, and surveillance, as 
well as closing the local school as a precaution against mud on 
school buses spreading the virus. 
 
¶3.  On Feb 14, MARA confirmed that the H5N1 strain of AI was present 
in birds in the Yesilalan field in the Silvan district of Diyarbakir 
and in the Esentepe field in Batman district.  Culling and 
quarantine procedures have been implemented.  Meanwhile, authorities 
in southwestern Anatolia, far from the Batman outbreak, are 
investigating 20-25 wild ducks found dead near Burdur Lake in the 
Keciborlu District of Isparta.  On February 12, samples were sent to 
Konya Veterinary Control and Research Laboratory.  Initial test 
results were negative for AI but further investigations continue. 
 
 
¶4.  Overall, public and media reaction has been much more measured 
than last year.  All confirmed cases have been in backyard farms in 
rural areas in the southeast, hundreds of miles from commercial 
poultry operations in the west.  According to poultry producer 
associations, unlike last year there has been no drop in poultry and 
egg demand since the first outbreak last week. 
 
-------------- 
No Human Cases 
-------------- 
 
¶5.  At this time, there do not appear to be any avian influenza 
cases in humans.  On February 11, the Ministry of Health announced 
that tests for four initially hospitalized patients in Batman were 
negative.  Three other patients from Batman were subsequently 
hospitalized and under observation for flu-like symptoms, but all 
tested negative and have been released from the hospital.  Including 
other people deemed potentially exposed, a total of some twenty 
tests have been carried out at Ankara Refik Saydam Institute, and 
all have been negative for avian influenza.  The CDC has been 
working closely with this laboratory and has provided equipment and 
primers for testing.  WHO still encourages the Ministry of Health 
(MOH) to send specimens for confirmation testing in the UK, but so 
far they have not done so for these outbreaks. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
International Partners - How to Restructure? 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  At February 14-15 meetings convened by the World Bank, 
international partners, including Embassy officers, were briefed on 
the Batman situation and discussed implementation of the $54 million 
response and restructuring program.   FAO veterinarians reported on 
their visit to the outbreak villages.  FAO and others applauded the 
MARA and MOH response to the relatively small outbreak.  Reaction 
time was fast: the first poultry death notification on February 5 
prompted the start of culling on February 8, based on rapid test 
results.  FAO did note that despite significant training efforts, 
there is still room for improvement in biosecurity: local MOH 
officials were negligent in not wearing protective gear in the 
quarantine area, and failed to disinfect their vehicle before 
leaving. 
 
¶7.  The World Bank reported that the loan and grant package, 
including the $1 million from USAID, finally was executed and money 
transferred to the Turkish Treasury in early February.  World Bank 
staff and consultants reviewed the terms of reference of the entire 
project, and agreed on the need for closer cooperation on how to 
address the informal backyard poultry production in Turkey.  After 
detailed discussion of the challenges, it was agreed to create a 
working group of stakeholders, including Embassy, to explore 
strategies for implementation of the Backyard Poultry Restructuring 
component.   There will be an FAO-organized AI animal health 
workshop in Ankara at the end of February. 
 
-------------------------------- 
View from the Ministry of Health 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  MOH Yildirim Bayazit told us on January 31 that MOH and MARA 
were coordinating.  He wondered if compensation funding and 
structure were clear enough to assure that individuals have 
incentive to quickly report suspected cases.  Bayazit also said 
Ankara was working closely with the provinces on readiness and there 
were good stocks of tamiflu and protective gear.  He said that MOH 
was doing active field training in WHO-guideline clinical procedures 
and they had just disseminated a new hospital crisis guide in 
Turkish. 
 
¶9.  Bayazit said WHO-Europe is planning a conference on clinical 
aspects and care of human infection with avian influenza (H5N1) 
virus March 19-21 2007 in Antalya, Turkey, but he did not have more 
details on agenda or participants.  Embassy MED will likely 
participate.  Bayazit complained that World Bank and EU funding had 
been very slow, despite promises of expediting normal procedures. 
Bayazit was complimentary of the relative speed of the CDC grant for 
$325,000 to enhance regional lab capacity. 
 
Wilson